Timing device for ignition systems.



J. F. MIDDLETON. TIMING DEVICE FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1912.

1,079,256, Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

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H'lTN/ISSES:

James E-Middleton,

A TTORNEY.

s'rArEs PA JAMEST. MIDDLETON, OF PITTBFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

TIMING DEVICE FOR IGNITION SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

Application filed Kay 21, 1912. Seflal No.'698,826.'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES FVMIDDL'ETON, a citizen of the-United States, residing at Pittsfield,,in the county of Berkshire andthe efiiciency of circuit breakersjor auto matically regulatingand controlling the time of ignition off-explosive gases in the engine indirect relation to itsspeed.

The'invention consists in the-novel construction,=combination, arrangement and op-- Figure 1 is a top plan view; Fig.2, a vertical section through .thecenter, disclosing the carrier and carrier mechanism; and Fig. 3, a detail sectional face view vof the governor-plate showing its position on the shaft stud.

Asshown, the casing 1, which may be of any approved form or construction, has a central bearing 2 within which is journaled an engine-driven shaft 3 projecting into the casing. Rotatively mounted on the shaft 3 Within the casing 1 is a carrier 4 provided with an extension bearing 5 journaled on the shaft and carrying a brush 6 of any ap proved type and herein shown as a contactroll carried on the outer end of a pivotally actuable arm 7 controlled by a spring 8 attached to the inner end of the arm and to thebearing 5. The brush 6, rotating with the vcarrier 4, is arranged to 'bear yieldingly against the inner wall of the casing and to contact successively-with a series of terminals 9, 9, 9, 9, mounted in thecasing and suitably insulated therefrom, the said terminals corresponding in number to the number of cylinders in the engine and each terminal being placed in a separate primary circuit for controlling one of the sparking devices in the ignition system.

As'shown, the shaft 3 is reduced in diameter at its upper end to form a stud 10, which is threaded-at the top to carry a nut 11 and cut away laterally at opposite points immediately-under the nut to form shoulders 12,

12, which are-adapted to support in fixed horizontal posltion thereon a governor-plate- 13 secured by the nut 11, said plat e being provided centrally with an opening; 14-

adapted to receive the stud '10 and conformed in out-linethereto.

Slidably mounted on the governor-plate .13, on opposite sides of the stud 10, are govcrnor-weights 15, 15, movably secured together by w an overhead tension-spring 16 tending to normally impel the Weights inward and having its opposite ends adjustably secured between clamping-nuts 17, 17, 18, 18, carried onthe threaded upper ends of vertically arranged cam-pins-19, 19, projecting through transverse openings 20, 20, provided in the governor-weights 15', 15, the plate 13 being provided with elongated guide-slots 2l, 21, arranged in alinement on opposite sides of the stud 10. to receive the lower-ends of the cam-pins 19, 19, which project below the weights 15, 15, and take intocurved cam-slots 22, 22, provided in a camplate 23 secured in fixed position bythe screws 24:, 24, on the head of the extensionbearings 5. A fixed collar 25, intervening the plates 13 and 23, is preferably provided as a spacer on each of-the carmpins 19, '19. The cam-plate 23 is provided centrally with an opening 26 freely inclosing the stud 10, the extensions of the body-portion on oppo-- site sides of the stud and the slots 22, 22, therein being regularly curved in opposite directions in equal arcs. I have further shown a guard-plate 27 secured centrally to the stud 10 under the nut Hand in engagement with the governor-plate. 13. Said guard-plate comprises lateral upright extensions forming stops 28, 28, at the inner limits of movement of the governor-weights 15, 15, horizontal sections 29, 29, disposed freely over the weights, and downwardly directed ends forming stops 30, 30, at the outer limits of movement of the weights, the inner stops 28, 28, being suitably. perforated ltl (iii

at31, 81, to receive the spring 16, and the stops 30, 30, being disposed preferably freely over the governor-plate 13, which is preferably of spring-metal, thereby providing a yielding element at the outer limits of movement of the governor-weights, which by its nature permits a further advance in the time of ignition responsive to and correlative with a slight increase in the speed of the engine. As an incidentalfeature I have also shown a suitablelattachment 32, for connection withmanually operable means for rotating the casing on the shaft 3 for advancing orretarding the ignition in the usual and customary manner Without, however, affecting the independent operation of the automatic means provided.

In operation, the brush 11, rotating with the revolving shaft 3 passes successively over the terminals 9, 9, etc.,'thereby closing the respective circuits and causing the gases in the appropriate cylinders to ignite at the spark-plugs. The normal position of the brush wit-h relation to the primary terminals in the casing is predetermined to insure closingbf the circuit at the proper instant. As the position of the brush and carrier is rotatively adjustable on the shaft 3, when the speed of the engine increases the governor-weights 15, 15, are forced farther apart by centrifugal force against the yielding opposition" of the spring 16, and the cam-pins'19, 19, carried by the weights 15 and operating in the curved slots 22, 22, advance outward, causing the carrier which is secured in fixed relation to the cam-plate 23 to rotate slightly on the shaft, thus advancing the position of the brush in the path of the primary terminals and consequently the ignition. The are of the slots 22, 22, is properly predetermined by experimentation to insure the correct extent of advancement of the brush under varying speed conditions. As the engine speed is reduced, the

' weights 15, 15, affected by less centrifugal impulse, are drawn inward by the combined action of the spring 16 and the lag of the brush 6, and in turn reverse the axial movement of the carrier on the shaft, returning the brush toward normal position. lhe time of the closing and opening of the several circuits is thus automatically regulated by the speed of the engine without the need of manual assistance, varying as the speed varies and to a proportionate extent.

ll claim 1. ltn an ignition system, apparatus for controlling the time of ignition com prising a rotary member having a-lateral extension, a rotativelynctuable member, in addition to said rotary membe'r,"and having a lateral extension, one of said extensions having a curved slot therein, and a centrifugally-actuable member carried by the Y other of said extensions and naving a tering member free to move in the slot of said slotted extension.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a rotary member having a lateral extension, a rotatively-actuable member, in addition to said rotary member, and having a lateral extension, one of said extensions having a straight slot therein and the other of the extensions having a curved slot therein, and a centrifugally-actuable membercarried by at least one of said lateral extensions and having a registering member free to move in the slots of said lateral extensions.

3. In an ignition system, a speed-controlled governor for controlling the time of ignition and comprising a rotary shaft having oppositely-arranged radial arms provi ed with straight slots, a rotatively-actuable member, in addition to said shaft, having oppositely-arranged radial arms provided with curved slots, and centrifugallyactuable weights carried on the arms of the shaft and having a pin free to move in the slots of the arms of said shaft and said rotatively-actuable member.

4:. In a device of the class described, the combination of a driven shaft having lateral extensions provided with straight slots, a sleeve movably mounted on the shaft and having lateral extensions provided with curved slots, and centrifugallyactuable weights carried on said shaft extensions and carrying a pin to registerwith the slots in said shaft and sleeve extensions for rota-- f tively adjusting the sleeve on the shaft.

5. In a device of the class described, a rotary shaft, a terminal carried by the shaft and rotatively actuable thereon, and a speedcontrolled governor for adjusting the position of the terminal on the shaft and comprising horizontally disposed plates carried by the shaft, one of the plates havinga straight slot therein and the other a curved slot, a centrifugally-actuable weight carried by the shaft and arranged to move in a plane parallel with the plates, and a pin carried by the weight and free to move in said slots for adjusting the position of the terminal on the shaft.

6. in a device of the class described, a rotary shaft, a carrier mounted on the shaft and rotatively actuable thereon, a terminal on the carrier, a horizontal plate mounted on the carrier and having a curved radial slot, and a governor carried by the shaft for adjusting the position of the carrier on the shaft and including a horizontal plate fixed on the shaft and having a straight radial slot, and a oentrifugally-actuable weight carried on the plate and having a registering member free to move in the slots in said carrier plate and said shaft plate.

'2'. in a device of the class described. the combination of a driven shaft, having fixed lateral extensions provided with radial slots, In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my eentrifugallyactuable oppositely arranged signature in presence of two witnesses. .weights mounted to move in said slots, means for normally securing the weights together JAMES MIDDLETON 5 under tension, and ylelding" stops provided Witnesses at the outer' limits of movement of the JNO. J. WHITTLESEY,

weights. WILLIAM E. BAGG. 

